Back-to-school is perfect for creating these glue and chalk name art projects. Kids will love drawing with glue and adding color to showcase their personalities.

Chalk drawing with the name Erin on black paper.

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This name art lesson is great for any aged child who can draw with a glue bottle. If you want to complete this name art with very young children, an adult could also draw each name beforehand.

Why You Will Love This Art Idea

KID FRIENDLY – Any aged child can use these materials.
DRAWINGS CAN CHANGE BASED ON ABILITY – There are various ways to draw a name, which can be adjusted based on a child’s ability.
CAN MODIFY SUPPLIES – If you don’t want to use chalk pastels, regular oil pastels or construction paper crayons are great options for working on black paper.

Supplies you’ll need

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Black Construction Paper*
Oil Pastels, Construction Paper Crayons or Chalk Pastels
Bottled Glue
Pencil

*After years of experience with all sorts of black construction papers, this brand is a must. You can do this project with any size. Some examples in this lesson are 6″ x 9″ and 9″x 12″. For younger children (1st graders and younger might even do best on 12″ x 18″ paper).

Chalk and Glue Name Art Tutorial

collage images showing steps for name art chalk drawing project.

Step 1: Sketch Out Your Name Design

We recommend that kids sketch out their name design using a pencil first. They can create bubble or block letters or sketch their name regularly.

See our tips for creating bubble and block letters with children here.

Step 2: Outline The Drawing With Glue

If writing their name, we recommend going over the lines twice with a glue bottle to make their name stand out.

Step 3: Let Dry

Depending on the thickness of the glue line, it may take a few hours to completely dry.

Step 4: Add Color

Our favorite way to add color to glue drawings on black paper is with chalk pastels. The glue resists the chalk and acts like an outline.

hand drawing with chalk pastels on black paper.

To make the names stand out, we recommend:

Picking warm or cool colors for the inside of your letters and the opposite colors on the outside.
You can also limit the colors inside the letters and use contrasting colors in the negative space.

Step 5: Spray Drawings

If you are using chalk pastels, it is best to spray them with a workable fixative.

Tips

School glue works well but may not have as much relief as you would like.
Glue-All is a thicker glue that doesn’t spread out as much. This is an excellent option for older kids because it is not as washable.
Make sure to lay your glue drawings completely flat to dry. Most drying racks have a tilt, and the drawings will drip or smear.
Practice using oil pastels or chalk pastels before working on the project.

More Unique Drawing Projects

Use glue, chalk or paint in these other fun project ideas!

EASY FOR ALL: Jim Dine Inspired Heart Drawings
CANVAS IDEA: Drawing With Glue On Canvas

The best part about this fun chalk name-drawing project is that you can modify it to fit your style or your student’s abilities.

Equipment

Workable Fixative

Supplies

Black construction paper
White school glue
Chalk pastels
Pencil

Instructions

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Have kids lightly sketch their names in large letters before adding glue. Simple block or bubble letters work well and leave plenty of space for adding color.
DRAW YOUR NAME: Lightly draw your name in large letters on black construction paper.
TRACE WITH GLUE: Carefully trace over the pencil lines with white school glue. Let the glue dry completely before adding chalk.
ADD CHALK PASTELS: Choose between warm and cool pastel colors and add color around the dried glue lines. Use the opposite color scheme in the negative space.
BLEND THE COLORS: Use your fingers to gently blend and smudge the chalk pastels. Experiment with different color combinations as you work.
ADD MORE DETAILS: Continue adding and blending chalk until you are happy with your design. Add extra lines, shapes or patterns if desired.
PROTECT THE ARTWORK: Carefully shake off excess chalk dust. Display the finished artwork as is or have an adult use an appropriate fixative to help reduce smudging.

Notes

Draw the name large enough to fill most of the paper. Let the glue dry completely before using chalk pastels.
Encourage kids to experiment with blending colors instead of trying to make every section look the same.
Use one finger or paper towel to gently blend chalk pastels.
Chalk pastels can be messy, so protect tables and work surfaces before beginning.
Avoid blowing chalk dust off the artwork.

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Author: Erin Nutter